The present invention relates to ball hitches, and more particularly, to ball hitches having a hitch tongue attached to a hitch engagement, which is in turn received in a hitch receiver on the towing vehicle.
Ball hitches are used in a wide variety of towing applications for towing many different kinds of trailers. Ball hitches may be mounted to vehicle bumpers and/or hitch drawbars, and in some applications mounted in the bed of a pickup truck. A common method of attaching the ball hitch to the vehicle is using a female hitch receiver mounted on the vehicle. The female hitch receiver defines a sleeve, typically of a generally square cross-sectional shape, which receives the leading end of a hitch tube or hitch engagement of corresponding shape and size, such that the leading end of the hitch engagement may be slid into the receiver. The hitch engagement is removably attached to the hitch receiver such as by a locking pin which passes through corresponding holes in the hitch receiver and the hitch engagement. The ball is then supported by the trailing end of the hitch, such as on a hitch tongue.
Such ball hitches need to be strong and reliable, while maintaining a relatively low cost. One such ball hitch is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,002, incorporated herein by reference. Improvements which increase the strength and/or reliability of the ball hitch, while simultaneously reducing costs such as in manufacturing and assembly, are very beneficial.